BBC - 606 - - A37758126 - What to make of Sharapova's defeat

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What to make of Sharapova's defeat

by Caroline Cheese - BBC Sport (U1647853) 27 June 2008

With the shock retirement of world number one Justine Henin still fresh in the memory, the WTA had further cause for reflection after Maria Sharapova's limp exit at Wimbledon on Thursday.

While Alla Kudryavtseva deserves huge credit for the bold manner in which she dispatched her compatriot, Sharapova was a shadow of her usual self.

The world number two made 22 unforced errors and threw in nine double faults - including three in one game, which saw her fall 4-2 down in the first set.

More worryingly perhaps, at 4-4 in the second set, just when Sharapova - the ultimate fighter on the women's tour - would be expected to push on, she crumbled.

Sharapova said all the right things afterwards. She denied she was injured, said it just wasn't her day and vowed to come back stronger.

But she cut a disillusioned figure. Wimbledon is her favourite tournament and barely had she unveiled her special tuxedo-inspired outfit than it was time to pack it away for good.

The former world number one started the season with a bang, bludgeoning her way to the Australian Open title and picking up another two titles in the US but the wheels have come off in recent months.

In May, she launched a wide-ranging attack on the WTA for "forcing" her to take part in an obligatory publicity shoot in Rome ahead of the Italian Open. "The tour does not care what any of the players think, not just top players. This is one in a long list of things that the tour has ignored the players. This is not about just one shoot, I could not just sit back anymore."

Then came defeat by Dinara Safina at the French Open , despite leading 7-6 5-2 and holding two match points.

Sharapova opted out of her traditional grass-court warm-up event in Birmingham in order to rest, but the break apparently wasn't enough.

I think the shoulder injury has got into her head and the lack of confidence in her serve creeps into the rest of her gameTracy Austin

"Now I have more time off," she said, drily. "Better be careful what I wish for."

Tracy Austin believes the shoulder injury which troubled Sharapova throughout most of last season is a major factor in her fluctuating form.

"She hasn't even made the quarter-finals in four of the last five Grand Slams," the American told BBC Sport. "I think the shoulder injury has got into her head and the lack of confidence in her serve creeps into the rest of her game.

"She's not the athlete Venus and Serena are. She needs her big serve, she counts on it to set up the point and when she doesn't have it, she's in trouble."

Sharapova has also referred to a problem with her immune system, which leaves her more susceptible to illness, and her comments following Henin's retirement were perhaps revealing.

"If I was 25 and I'd won so many Grand Slams, I'd quit too. She's an inspiration. There's so many things to life and I'm sure she wants to explore them. I definitely don't blame her for retiring."

At 21 and with three Grand Slam titles, Sharapova is surely not yet on the point of following Henin into early retirement, but with his most bankable star struggling with the stresses and strains of the game, WTA chief Larry Scott should be more motivated than ever to carry out his pledge to overhaul the schedule.

"I do continue to worry about the health and wellbeing of the players," Scott said ahead of Wimbledon.

"A person like Justine Henin retires at 25 and almost every one of our players suffers with an injury of some kind. It's something not in your direct control, but it's one of the reasons I've been so laser-focused on the need to change the calendar and reduce the commitment of players."

Venus and Serena Williams have long been criticised for their take-it-or-leave-it attitude to the game, but they are still out there, as Grand Slam contenders, at 28 and 26 respectively.

Maybe they've got a point.

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comment by speople (U9509360)

posted Jun 28, 2008

I believe that her game problems at the moment are purely down to a lack of practice and/or match fitness.
She plays in so few tournaments it almost seems unreal. If you count after Rome, she played 3 matches at RG, 2 at Wimbledon, and if as many people expect she pulls out of Montreal and just goes straight to the Olympics, she will have played what, 5 competitive matches in just 4 months. No way is that enough to go anywhere and win.
Her serve is fine, she wouldn't have had such a start to the year if it was bad. But all the time at RG she looked shaky, and then to go to Wimbledon without any match practice on grass before the event was just a disaster waiting to happen. So if she does pull out of Montreal, she wil also go to Beijing with no match practice on hard courts beforehand, and hope for a miracle to see her through. (Which I don't believe will).
She was getting further in tournaments last year even when her shoulder was knackered, than she is this year fully fit. So what's the BIG problem?
It's in her head I'm afraid. It seems she is allowed to mix with no one off court, and probably has led a VERY sheltered/protected life. She probably has very few,if any close friends.
When was the last time that this poor girl really had fun??
I mean just to go out somewhere with someone and enjoy doing the normal kinds of things that normal people do.
I think that Masha is probably quite lonely, and as a result quite depressed. (You can't really go to Disney World, or a ball game or anywhere else really and have fun with your dad can you, if you know what I mean)
And if she is depressed, it is no wonder that her game and or will to win is coming apart.
One quick look on her own site in the forum pages, shows that many of her loyal fans are giving her a hell of a lot of stick over things like committment, desire to play tennis etc etc.
The media also doesn't help. No matter where this girl goes in the world, there is a camera nearby to take pictures for magazines or newspapers etc. She won Wimbledon at just 17, and was catapulted to superstardom way before she was probably ready. She is the Princess Di of the 21st century. Need I say more?
The girl needs a long break from media intrusion, maybe even from tennis too, she needs to find some close friends and go out and have fun.
In time she will rediscover her confidence, and play with a smile in her heart and not just a smile for the cameras. And if after a break she chooses not to come back to tennis, then it is no big deal. She has graced us all already for 4 years, and it might sound cliched, but there IS more to life than just picking up a tennis racquet.
Maria has never lived, and I think it is time that she (and not her father, entourage or advisers) decides to.
Good luck Maria XX
And god bless.

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comment by Chakvetadzex (U11146715)

posted Jun 29, 2008

I was so confused watching this match. I personally feel that Alla does not deserve as much praise as shes getting, because if you watched the match you'll agree that was not Maria, there was no fighting spirit, determination, nothing, her performance was almost mechanical and she just wanted off the court as soon as possible. Maria always gets compared to Anna Kournikova but maintains tennis is the most important thing in her life, shes too distracted and goes onto court 2nd round of a slam expecting to comfortably win a match, she needs to wake and decide whether or not she wants tennis or modeling. Shes is 100% better than whats shes giving and its infuriating.

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comment by tikkeros (U1690311)

posted Jun 29, 2008

Sharapova wants to get off the catwalk and on to the practice court otherwise she'll just be another Kournikova.

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comment by gbengakoya (U8589574)

posted Jun 29, 2008

Guys, please let the young girl be!!! i think it's very unfair to compare Masha with Kournikova. A player who won more grand slam titles than the obviously more talented Clijsters & Mauresmo, i think it's unfair to criticize her so harshly.
She cant win every tournament, and since you guys always claim she is one dimensional, the i think 3 Grand slams titles is worth celebrating. Please leave her alone

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comment by getinthebath (U9563463)

posted Jun 30, 2008

'Sharapova wants to get off the catwalk and on to the practice court otherwise she'll just be another Kournikova.'

Errr... slight problem with that my friend, Sharapova has already won a few Grand Slams. She could retire now and still claim to have done more than most players do in their careers!

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comment by Vincent-Hitman (U11942159)

posted Jun 30, 2008

For me it's simple, she had a bad day vs. an inspired opponent. Everyone knows how strong Women's tennis is now, it's like any top player can lose if they can't play at a high level. Look at what a hard time Jankovic had on Saturday, without the knee problem.

For commitment there's not many better than MS. It will all click back in for her. Class is permanent. I still stick by what I said a few years back - she will win Wimbledon again.

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comment by roter14 (U3913781)

posted Jun 30, 2008

whatever! sharapova has not even played that much this year! the only player that can say that being tired was a problem is djokovic or nadal because they played almost every week during the clay season. If sharapova stopped shrieking it might save her some energy and earn her nore fans!

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comment by Jayslaw (U8431847)

posted Jun 30, 2008

Err who really cares, these guys moan about everything, (except the huge amounts of money they have earned form a....SPORT !
So big deal she quits, she will be replaced by another few dolly birds who the advertisers can lavish with goods and lifestyle merchandise.

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comment by grandAlexGordon (U12756037)

posted Jul 25, 2008

All Sharapova's problems started with her strange and weird defeat in the Australian Open at the hands of Serena Williams. The match was so bizarre that one strongly suspected foul play, and since then, Maria has not been her usual self because her confidence was dented badly. If a player can only annhiliate one other player who in turn is only ever annhilated by that one player then is that not highly suspicious? Sharapova was never forgiven for her humiliation of Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2004.
I am highly suspicious of the way the Williams sisters win and this year's Wimbledon was a fiasco, worthy of investigation.

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